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Tag Archives: triple

Welcome to the DuttyBerryShow blog! As I watched the Jamaican team compete during the 2013 World Championships, I couldn’t help feeling inspired. Athletics to me isn’t just a sport. It represents a physical exhibition of passion, determination, talent and courage. By taking a closer look at these events, several life lessons can be attained and hopefully utilized to enhance our ability to react and understand many of life’s challenges.

Life is a b*t*h

Have you ever felt as if you were cursed? I’m sure we all have felt that way at one point in our lives. Sometimes, we aspire towards a goal but for some unknown reason, we keep hitting into hurdles. Kaliese Spencer came into the championships as one of the favorites in the 400m hurdles. Sadly, she was disqualified in the heats and just as a window of hope appeared in the 4*4 relay, the team acquired a disqualification. Can you imagine how devastated she must feel? Some may blame it on obeah, others will simply term it as bad-luck, while the optimist will view it as ‘just a phase’. Whatever you term it, we can all conclude that life is full of ups and downs. Failure is inevitable. So the question is, will you dwell in your negativity or visualize yourself clearing the other hurdles ahead?

2) Sometimes our best isn’t good enough to get us to where we’d want to be

You must have seen Stephanie McPherson running her heart out in the 400m final or Kimberly Williams acquiring a new Personal Best (14.62) in the triple jump, just missing out on the bronze medal or even Nickel Ashmeade being denied the bronze medal by Curtis Mitchell in the 200m final. Performing at your very best, despite falling short, should never be overlooked. It’s imperative that you learn that doing your best, won’t always make you a ‘winner’ but you should still be proud of your efforts. So big up all the athletes who represented us well, whether you medalled or not!

3) Always trust God

For every achievement, never forget to thank God. When life gets hard, often times it is our spirituality that will take us through it. Those moments when you are uncertain about the future or feeling doubtful, that is when your spiritually should provide guidance. Be grateful. Be thankful, just like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. I swear, she never forgets God in all her success.

That final leg by Javon Francis will be a story we share to our grandchildren when we are old and grey. The Jamaican 4*4 relay team, despite losing one of their fastest sprinters due to injury, refocused and prepared themselves to execute. Not only did they prepare well, they ran vehemently to attain the silver medal. This goes to show how powerful the mind is. If you can believe it, you can achieve it. Never place your dreams in a cabinet for it to remain unused and remain stationary. Pursue your goals like a cheetah in the wild searching for prey.

5) Be an Inspiration to others

Too whom much is given, much is expected. Always try to motivate those around you, especially when you discover that they may aspire to be like you. Usain Bolt, as accomplished as he is, seems to always ensure that he contributes by building the confidence of those around him.

6) Never Allow yourself to be intimidated by others

Am I the only one who found it funny to hear Warren Weir state his intent to beat Bolt? Did you watch the post race interview with Kemar Bailey-Cole complaining and blaming himself for not getting a medal? Bear in mind that Bolt, Gatlin and Carter ran faster all season yet he still believed that he was good enough to gain a medal. These two young men are very confident in their abilities and are fearless. This is the sort of character that makes one a champion.

7) Your failure is sometimes necessary to create an opportunity for someone else

In 2008, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce addition to the Jamaican team prevented Veronica Campbell-Brown from competing in the 100m at the Olympic Games in Beijing. At the time Shelly was an unknown talent and many people felt Veronica should have been selected instead of Shelly. As fate would have it, Shelly went on to become the first Caribbean woman to win 100m gold at the Olympic Games. Similarly, Nesta Carter’s 1st individual medal was alot easier to attain with Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay, three of the fastest men in 100m history, out of the picture. To be honest, I believe that Carter was most deserving of the opportunity to compete in the 100m in Moscow. So as weird as it sounds, in some strange way, your fall might just be destined to allow someone else a chance to rise.